Magnetic
by queenfirst
Summary: Kaya wasn't really expecting much when she transferred to Touou Academy. All she wanted to do was get good grades, join the martial arts club, and maybe make some friends along the way. And then she met Aomine Daiki, and her life became much more colourful.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This first chapter is a bit M-rated; mentions of kinks and pornography. The rest is rated T, though, so skip a few lines if you get uncomfortable!

Also, trigger warning. Attempted assault in this chapter as well. Starts and ends with the short inclusion of a third, minor character.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 1:

Whirlwind

Kaya knew people were afraid of him. It was only reasonable. His height was intimidating, true, but that was just the tip of the iceberg. His voice was deep and grumbly, and his aura practically reeked of arrogance and indifference.

But Aomine Daiki was also really, really hot.

It was one of the first things she noticed upon entering the school. Not _the_ first, though, as he was absent the first few days she had begun her school life at Touou High. She took note of him on the third day, when he finally deigned to show up. It wasn't difficult, considering she was seated literally beside him.

It was fifteen minutes into the start of the day. The class had just finished homeroom and were being introduced to a new math topic, when the door was slid open with enough force to make her flinch. The moment everyone registered the hulking presence in the doorway, they stilled. The class was thick with tense silence.

Kaya, too, had gone still. But it wasn't because of fear like the others. No, she was infatuated.

"Aomine Daiki," sighed the teacher. "Why are you late this time?"

Aomine yawned loudly. "Overslept."

"Hm. Take your seat, and at least try to look like you're working."

"Ha. Sure."

Aomine rolled his eyes as he stalked towards his seat. To Kaya's utter glee, he was heading in her direction. She pointedly ignored the sympathetic looks thrown her way.

She kept her head down as he sat next to her, partially hoping he'd look her way or ask who she was. When he placed his head on his desk and immediately began snoring, though, she pouted in disappointment. _Boring_ , she thought, returning to her work sadly.

As such, she was oblivious to the pair of blue eyes that gave her a once-over.

She tried to talk to him during lunch. Since Kaya had transferred halfway into the year, all the friendship circles were formed, perfectly rounded and without room for an interloper. The only interactions she received with the others were those that focused too much on her body and not enough on her eyes. Being curvy sucked sometimes.

 _But Kaya, won't you be a hypocrite if you talk to Aomine because of that_? No, voice-in-her-head-which-sounded-a-lot-like-internet-trolls, no it wouldn't.

True, she was attracted to Aomine (um, who wouldn't be? God, look at that bod) but that wasn't the entirety of her interest in him. He radiated strength and confidence, and drew Kaya's curiosity like a moth to a flame.

…Which was why she was on the top floor of the building, right by the door to the rooftop. Aomine had bolted out of class almost the second the bell went off, and Kaya immediately went after him. Even though she left soon after he did, she saw neither hide nor hair of him throughout the halls. She finally settled for asking around and – with no small amount of bewilderment – some students revealed where he usually went during breaks. After running a hand through her hair and smoothing out her clothes, Kaya deemed herself decent and stepped onto the rooftop.

She was greeted with nothing.

Sure, it was a beautiful day, with blue skies and fluffy white clouds, but it was severely lacking a certain blue-haired male. Kaya clicked her tongue in irritation and was about to turn back, when suddenly the door creaked open behind her.

She whirled around, expecting to see Aomine's tall figure. Instead, she was met with an average-sized boy who seemed to have a hard time looking away from her chest.

Kaya cleared her throat pointedly. "Can I help you?" she asked sharply, a hand on her hip.

The boy raised his head, taking his sweet time. "Why, yes, you can," he answered, smirking.

She almost gagged on his sheer sliminess. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"My name is Yano. As for what I want?" His smirk grew as he leaned forward, his face mere inches away from hers. "It's you."

Kaya was forced to step back, lest she touch lips with the human garbage can invading her personal space. She scowled as her back met a blockade, effectively trapping her between a rock and a hard place. "That's a shame. Because I'm not a thing, so you can't have me," she spat.

"Please," he scoffed. "Look at you – you're practically asking for it."

Kaya stared at him flatly. "You're kidding me, right? I'm literally wearing the school uniform." Hell, the skirt was almost brushing against her knees – which said a lot considering the current fashion trend. Then again, a lot of girls here were rather flat, so they got away with skimpy clothing. It was a damn shame Kaya was part-Australian, because she was saddled with extra lumps of fat that somehow made her more attractive?

"Aw, you're so uptight. I bet I could loosen you up."

Wow. Not only was this Yano character hard on the eyes, he was developmentally difficult, too. It seemed words weren't going to work on him. Kaya sighed. _Sorry, dad,_ she grieved silently _, but I have no choice._

Kaya forced her body to relax, as if to welcome him. Surprised, it took him a moment to react. When it registered, the idiot smirked victoriously and leapt at her…straight into her thrusted fist.

He shot back, winded. "What the hell?!" he screamed, clutching his stomach.

"My response to your advances?" Kaya stared at him coolly. "No. Get lost."

"You bitch," he hissed, and Kaya almost rolled her eyes at the predictability of his line. This was probably a bad move, as she could actually see him get angrier at the action. So she should have been expecting him to lunge at her.

Gasping, Kaya instinctively recoiled, only to be reminded of the cold, hard wall behind her. She ducked to the side instead, barely dodging the figure barrelling towards in favour of stumbling onto rough gravel.

She yelped as a hand yanked on her hair, pulling her up slightly. Her body half-turned, all she could see was Yano's smug face as he cocked his fist back, ready to send her head spinning.

And then he appeared.

"Uh-uh," tutted a deep voice. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Yano flinched and whirled towards the source of the voice, his hold on Kaya making her echo his actions. "Who the hell—?" Yano stopped mid-sentence, his irritation melting into shock. "Aomine Daiki."

Kaya's eyes widened.

There he was. Lounging on the top of small compartment that led to the stairwell was Aomine, brow arched as he watched them through his camera-phone.

"Here I was, enjoying my nap, when suddenly this happens," he drawled, cool eyes flicking over to them.

Kaya squirmed under his gaze, but stopped short with a gasp when pain prickled at her scalp.

"What's it to you, Aomine?" growled Yano, his grip tightening. "And stop filming!"

Aomine looked like he was contemplating, but to Kaya's relief, he said, "No. This is my territory. Piss off. Oh, and leave the girl," he added. "Unless you wanna add assault to the list?"

"Tch." Growling, Yano relinquished his death-like hold on her with a violent thrust. Kaya managed to save her face from stinging scrapes by landing on the palms of her hands. "You can have her. Dumb slut is too uptight, anyway."

"That doesn't even make sense," Kaya muttered as she pulled herself up. But Yano was already gone. Sighing, she leaned against the wall and massaged her sore head. _Can't believe he got me like that_. To be fair, though, if things had played out uninterrupted, she might have come out on top. She wasn't her parents' daughter for nothing. Still…

Kaya gazed upwards, half-expecting Aomine to have returned to his nap. When she saw he was staring at her, though, she felt her face heat up. "Um, thanks," she said smoothly.

"Name."

"Sorry?"

"What's your name?"

"Oh." Kaya tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear. "Ishikawa Kaya. Can I ask why you were filming us?"

Aomine tossed his phone in the air and caught it agilely. "Felt like it. Why? You want it as evidence?"

"No, not really," she replied, frowning. "The most he's gonna is a suspension, and that won't change much. If anything, he'll be more aggressive and violent…" Which wouldn't be too bad, actually. He'd do something more drastic and get punished way more severely. But it wouldn't be enough to actually impede him, since repercussions for minors were pitifully lenient.

"So you're gonna let him get away with it?" Derision practically dripped from Aomine's voice.

"Of course not. I'm gonna beat him up later."

"…What?"

Kaya simply smiled.

Aomine looked as if he wanted to ask for an explanation but before he could, the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. The sound was faint, but Kaya still flinched. They were going to be late!

Kaya rushed to the door, ready to run down the stairs if need be. Just as she was about to step foot down the staircase, she looked back at Aomine. He hadn't moved an inch.

"You're not going to class?" she asked, frowning.

"S'if. I need my sleep."

She tilted her head to the side. "Isn't sleeping reserved for the night?"

"I'm busy at night."

"Doing what?"

Aomine smirked suggestively. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Kaya glanced between the door and the lazy teen above her. Slowly, she closed the door and stepped away from it. She beamed at Aomine. "Sure!"

 _What the hell?_ A frown quickly replaced the smirk on Daiki's face as he watched the girl climb up the ladder and towards him. "Do you know who I am?" he asked, a singular eyebrow raised.

"Mm-hm. Aomine Daiki. You're in my class," she added brightly. "So, what do you do at night that keeps you so occupied?"

Daiki's frown deepened. "I watch shit."

Ishikawa's nose wrinkled in disgust. "Sounds gross."

"Not like that," he grumbled, recoiling at the imagery. "I watch basketball games and shows and porn." He glanced at her sharply to gauge her reaction. It wasn't true, the last bit. He enjoyed ogling bikini models as much as any other straight guy, but he wasn't obsessed with porn like some of the others. Daiki just wanted this girl to leave, ASAP.

Instead of looking at him as if he were a bug – that happened way too often – the girl's face brightened. "Really?" she asked. "What do you like to watch? Personally, I'm into Porn Club or animated ones from time to time."

Daiki stared. And stared. Were all girls actually like this? No, no, Satsuki hated it whenever he read his magazines in front of her. What the hell was up with this girl? Even though it was a little hot…

"I, uh, like normal shit," he offered.

Ishikawa had the gall to look surprised. "I didn't pin you as the type…"

Daiki was curious despite himself. "What are you into, then?" he asked, somewhat warily.

She grinned and began listing off her kinks, checking them off with her fingers as she did so. "I like more wild stuff. Threesomes, group, et cetera… Not to wild, though! None of that bondage or – ugh – golden showers. Seriously, though, who…?"

The dark-haired teen felt a light blush colour his cheeks as the girl continued, going into vivid detail about the horrors she had witnessed online. Part of him tuned her out lest his nose start bleeding. He took the time to look over her instead.

Her face was easy on the eyes, that was for sure. Her black hair brushed the middle of her back loosely, while the front was cut into neat bangs which framed her round face and brought out her dark eyes. Ishikawa's body was nothing to sniff at either. Her boobs were nowhere near Satsuki's, but were far from flat. She actually had an ass, though, so there was that. Her arms and legs even looked toned.

"…and don't even get me started on the daddy-kink—"

"Oi," cut in Daiki. "Do you play any sports?"

"Hm?" Ishikawa blinked at the non-sequitur. "Um, not really. Why? Do you?"

Daiki bared his teeth in a humourless grin. "You could say something like that."

"Something like that."

A surprised snort wiped the dark look off his face, eliciting a grin from its perpetrator. Her grin only widened when he scowled.

"In all seriousness though, what do you play?" she asked. "It has to be something you do often, because your body puts any athlete to shame," she said casually, as if she was simply commenting on the weather.

The compliment gave him pause. While his body was indeed equally lean and muscular, as per any serious basketball player, the only comments he received about it were for purely professional reasons. It threw him off. "Uh. Basketball," he grunted. "I play basketball."

"Ah, yes." Ishikawa nodded sagely. "The one with the balls and baskets."

Daiki was starting to realise this girl had no filter.

"Why do you hate school so much?" she asked suddenly. "You don't care about your grades?"

He sneered. "I'm going to be a professional basketball player. Why do I need to write essays or analyse poetry? Who cares about integrating and differentiating 'logs' or how caves are formed? It's all useless to me."

"Hm…" Ishikawa rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I agree for the most part, but a good part of math involves calculating angles and distances, so that could be pretty useful for you. History is important, because we learn from our past mistakes." She paused. "Or should, anyway. The USA has issues. And it's always nice to read between the lines of texts – you get to appreciate things more."

Daiki flopped back down, eyes hooded. "You sound just like the teachers. I don't care about all that."

She huffed. "Knowledge is power, Aomine-ku—"

"Don't call me that." Unbidden recollections of what Satsuki had told him in middle school surfaced in his mind.

"Oh. Okay. Anyway, Daiki-san, there are more important things besides basketball."

Daiki almost choked on his spit. No one outside of his family used his first name, let alone some chick he had only met today. But then he registered the rest of her sentence. "What's that, then?"

"Love."

What? Daiki flipped over to shoot her an incredulous stare. "What?"

Ishikawa responded with another one of those carefree smiles he was starting to associate her with. "Intelligence is sexy," she said.

"That's stupid."

She pouted. _What is she – twelve?_ "You're stupid," she mumbled, sulking. _Definitely twelve._

Daiki twitched, his fists clenching automatically. He really should hit her – that would finally get rid of her. Honestly, Daiki wondered why he was talking to her in the first place. She was far too nosy for her own good, and was a serious blabbermouth.

But…it was sorta, kinda nice. It had been a while since he actually held a conversation with someone who didn't look at him like he was an annoying bug or a towering monster. (Not that he minded the latter too much.) Besides, hurting her would feel a lot like hurting a baby, or a brain-dead puppy. He was also slightly wary of her punches – rightly so, if that greasy dude had anything to say about it.

Daiki unclenched his fists. "If school is so important, why aren't you in class right now?"

"I'd rather talk to you," she said, and Daiki felt as if he had entered an alternate dimension. "…And I hate Geography class." She sighed. "It's okay, though. I'll be out of your hair next period."

He probably should have said something – should have reassured her that she wasn't as annoying as she assumed she was. But it didn't matter. Once she was gone, he could finally get some shut-eye and just not think for a while…

When Daiki woke up, the sun was definitely lower than before. He shivered as a particularly cold draft crept by, forcing him sit up to get his body warmed up a little.

Touou's basketball ace rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. "Damn, that was a nice nap," he muttered through a yawn. It was the first time in ages that he actually slept soundly, free from ghosts of his past and present.

Though he did sleep better during the day than the night, this time was different. But why?

Daiki mulled over the possible causes as he rose, stretching. That was when he noticed the object on the ground. He hopped down onto the rooftop and, upon closer inspection, discovered it was a smartphone. He whistled low, impressed. It wasn't every day that he saw one of those, especially when almost everyone in town like himself still used flip-phones.

There was really only one person who owned the device. Once Daiki pressed the button on the bottom, his suspicions were confirmed. There on the home screen was a photo of Ishikawa and what looked like her (albeit grumpy) cat. And then it clicked.

She was what was different today. (That, and the fact he had only had a small carton of banana milk, not a large one, but he highly doubted that was it.) It had been a while since he had talked to someone for the sake of talking. Everyone else seemed to just scold or order him around.

Daiki pocketed the phone, the gears in his mind awhirl. He had a plan.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Home

For the umpteenth time that day, Kaya gazed askance and sighed. It was already fourth period, and her seating neighbour had yet to return. Seeing how they were studying math, she could understand his reluctance.

The door slid open, snapping her out of her thoughts. She turned her attention to the entrance, and almost squealed in joy as a certain blue-haired teen stepped into the room. His scowl was as prominent as ever as he glared at the poor math teacher who wanted to at least try to scold the disobedient student, but was promptly cowled into silence. Daiki-san continued his way to his seat uninterrupted, besides the occasional squeak of fear from the students he accidentally knocked into.

Kaya smiled at him as he sat down beside her. Her smile only widened as he fished out something from his pocket and shoved it into her hands. "Thanks," she mouthed, putting her phone away. She continued with her work, ten times happier than she was moments ago. The feeling of her crush's eyes on her only fuelled her enthusiasm.

The rest of the class followed the same way. Kaya did her work while Daiki-san either watched her, slept, or made a feeble attempt to write some notes himself. It was only when school ended did things get interesting.

The final bell of the day went off, and the teacher finally dismissed the class. The students packed up leisurely, some complaining about the club activities they had to fulfil soon, while most of those seated around Daiki-san bolted as soon as they could. Kaya herself was taking her time packing up, neither bothered by the prospect of her after-school club or her proximity to the intimidating teen.

"Oi," he muttered, causing her to turn reflexively. "Come home with me."

The pencil case Kaya was in the middle of putting away tumbled to the floor. Its owner was too busy gaping to notice. _Did he just say what I think he said?!_ She fanned her face furiously.

"Not like that," he hissed, perhaps noticing her undoubtedly red cheeks.

"Oh." Kaya picked up her pencil case and deposited it safely into her bag. "No, thanks."

"Seriously?" he barked, eliciting a small cry from a nearby girl.

Kaya snickered. "Not because of that. I'd love to hang with you, Daiki-san, but I have to go to practise."

A strange light entered his blue eyes. "Practise?"

"Yeah, I'm part of the martial arts club."

Daiki-san mumbled something under his breath, and Kaya thought it sounded like, "That explains a lot." Out loud, he said, "Then I'll come watch."

Kaya scratched the back of her neck. "I don't know if senpai will be okay with that."

Daiki-san gave her one of those dark smiles that made her shiver in both apprehension and desire. "Don't worry about that."

It turned out he was right. When Kaya showed up to the small dojo and explained a friend of her wanted to spectate, the third-years immediately denied the request. Then Daiki-san made himself known, and suddenly everything was A-OK. It was almost funny, in a way.

Practise today was a little different. No one seemed to want to spar with her, so Kaya forced them into action by taking them by surprise. More often than not, though, her opponent flicked their eyes towards the domineering figure behind her. Irritated at not being considered threatening enough to demand all their attention, Kaya retaliated wholeheartedly during their moment of distraction.

It was late in the afternoon when they were dismissed. Aware of everyone's discomfort, Kaya hurried out, forgoing showering and even changing back into her normal uniform. Daiki-san easily kept up with those long legs of his.

Speaking of, Kaya gazed at him curiously. He actually stayed the entire time she was practising, but why? Surely he had better things to do with his time. "Daiki-san, does our school have a basketball team?"

Daiki-san straightened out of his slouch, stiffening as if poked with a sharp blade. He glared at her, his eyes almost turning red as the light of the sunset shone on his face. "Why," he demanded.

Kaya shrugged, unperturbed by his display of aggression. She had seen worse. "I feel like you'd be less bored if there was one."

Daiki-san continued to glower at her as they walked. The rage slowly petered from his body as time went by and Kaya didn't press on the issue. "There is," he admitted grudgingly. "And I'm in it. But they're all too weak to be interesting."

"I see…" The implications of his words made Kaya perk up. "Then are you following me around because you think I'm interesting?"

There was that scowl again. But it was less furious and more irritated this time. Kaya took that as a yes, and proceeded to practically skip the rest of the way home. Well, she would have, except Daiki-san seemed intent on sticking with the entire time.

"Where do you live, Daiki-san?"

"Fifth Street."

"But…we passed that ages ago."

"So it seems."

Kaya frowned. The sun was already setting, and by the time they would reach her house, night would fall. The thought of Daiki-san walking home by himself was unsettling. Sure, he was big enough to take on an attacker just fine, but… "You should go back," she said. "Before it gets dark."

"No."

"But won't your family worry?"

Daiki-san's eyes grew a shade darker. "No. I live alone."

Kaya almost faltered mid-step, but hastily regained her bearings. "Me too," she admitted. "Sorta. My parents are divorced, and I live with my dad now, who's a work-a-holic, so he's barely home. The house is pretty much empty most of the time."

Daiki-san's gaze was still rather flat, but the shadow in his eyes had receded. "What about that furball on your phone?"

She smiled. "That's right. Pickles keeps me company too."

"The hell kinda name is that?"

"A good one."

An eye-roll. "Your future kids are so screwed."

"Oh, yeah? What would you name your cat, then?"

"Cat."

"…"

Kaya narrowed her eyes at him, silently questioning his intelligence. That look was promptly ignored. Before she could verbalise her question, her feet took her down a familiar path, and she found herself on her street. She came to a halt in front of her house.

"This is me," she said, nodding her head towards a two-story building. She chewed on her lip thoughtfully. "Did you want to come in? You have to help make dinner, though."

Daiki-san stuffed his hands in the pockets of his pants. "What is it?"

"Hamburgers."

He marched forward without another word.

* * *

A few weeks ago, if someone had told Daiki he'd find himself in some girl's house making hamburgers for dinner, he'd shove them aside for being a delusional moron. Now, though… Now he felt like the moron.

To be fair, he was only making hamburgers for himself, while Ishikawa was actually thinking of others as she shaped the patties. She had donned a white apron decorated with strawberries over her sports uniform, while he remained apron-less in his uniform because the only other she had read "Kiss the cook".

Being part of such a domestic scene was weird. He was out of his depth – uncomfortably so. But anything was better than staying in that cold, silent apartment he was reluctant to call 'home'.

"Whoa," breathed Ishikawa, her hands stilling. "Your patties are _huge_."

Daiki glanced at his patties and then at hers, frowning when he realised she was right. "I need my protein," he said defensively. "If you don't like it, do it yourself."

To his surprise, Ishikawa stuck her tongue out at him. "Relax – there's nothing wrong with having bigger patties. Size isn't everything, you know, as long as it gets the job done."

"You would know."

She nodded. "Pornography is a great educator."

Daiki didn't deign himself to respond.

Once all his prep was done, Daiki plopped himself down in the living room and snatched the remote off of the coffee table. He channel-surfed while Ishikawa started cooking, before finally settling on a half-decent film. The plot was just getting good, and Daiki actually found himself growing interested, when Ishikawa's voice cut his entertainment short.

"Daiki-san, can you help me grab something?"

He stalled, weighing between staying or going. If he stayed, he could keep watching. But then she might decide not to feed him… He rolled off the couch, grumbling.

Ishikawa was still in the kitchen, her arm stretched as high as it could go as she balanced delicately on the tips of her toes. The tip of her tongue peeked out from between her lips as she tried with all her might to reach the uppermost shelf of the cabinet.

Daiki raised an eyebrow in mild disbelief as he grabbed the bottle of oil she was so desperately reaching for. He never realised how short she was. Now that he thought about it, he probably should have made the discovery sooner when he was watching her spar. But his attention had mostly been centred on her ability to topple over upperclassmen who towered over her.

"Thanks!" she chirped, turning to face him. The smile on her face froze as she noticed their proximity, the words leaving her as she gazed up at him, uncharacteristically serious.

The intensity of her gaze was curious. Daiki opened his mouth to ask what she was staring at, when something hairy brushed against his legs. A (manly) cry exploded past his lips as he recoiled violently. Ishikawa screamed, startled, and crashed into him, sending both of them stumbling towards the wooden floor.

"Damn it," hissed Daiki, blinking the stars out of his eyes. He had suffered from worse on the court, but that was when he had adrenaline to soften the blows. It was only when the shock petered that he noticed the mound of softness on top of him.

Ishikawa had fallen so that she was straddling him, thankfully sparing his balls from being kneed or crushed. And then she stirred, making Daiki regret his last words as her thighs brushed against his nether regions.

He shoved her off brusquely, trying his best to ignore the moans she was emitting. Without another word, he stalked out of the kitchen and towards the nearest bathroom, eager to splash some cold water on his face.

* * *

Dinner was somewhat uncomfortable. The food was good, and Ishikawa was less chatty with something to occupy her mouth, but Daiki did his best to avoid eye contact with her as he devoured his hamburgers.

"Ah!" the source of his mild distressed cried suddenly, making him jump. "I forgot to feed Pickles." Ishikawa rushed out of her chair and towards the fridge. She grabbed an open can of cat food and made her way to the backyard, before pausing in her steps and glancing at Daiki. "Wanna come with?"

"No."

Ishikawa pouted, but didn't move.

Daiki focused on her bangs. "What are you waiting for? I'm not gonna change my mind."

She still didn't budge. As the seconds ticked by painfully, Daiki knew he had to concede. Scowling, he kicked back his seat, heedless of its screech, and shuffled over to her. Ishikawa beamed and led the way outside.

The night air bit at Daiki's skin as he stepped outside. He donned the outdoor sandals Ishikawa handed to him as he surveyed the scenery. The clouds cloaked the night sky almost entirely, leaving only the moon and several stubborn stars to peek out on the world below. Ishikawa's yard was slightly unkempt – the grass needed a good trim as well as some of the trees. The latter were decorated with what looked like claw marks, but he wasn't too sure in the dimness of the night.

"Pickles!" Ishikawa tapped on the aluminium can with a soon.

Almost immediately, the overgrown grass rustled. A black blur burst forth, running straight towards them. Ishikawa caught it deftly in her arms, laughing and cuddling with her pet.

"Daiki-san, this is Pickles," she said, holding the fat cat up for him to see.

Daiki glowered at the creature, who blinked lazily at him. "You mean the overgrown rat who tripped us up earlier?"

"Oh, true… Pickles, apologise." Ishikawa raised the cat a little higher so that its face was closer to his. The feline meowed and gave him a lick with its rough tongue.

"Ugh." Daiki wiped at his chin furiously. "Whatever. Just get it out of my face."

Ishikawa tilted the cat so that it looked like it was bowing to him, before settling it down and dishing out its dinner. Daiki kept his eyes on Ishikawa as she watched her cat eat. Despite the incident in the kitchen, she acted like nothing had happened. If anything, she was the one who was supposed to make a big deal out of it. He wasn't exactly the sensitive type _and_ she had established herself as a pervert. Part of him actually expected her to make a move. That she seemed utterly unaffected was sorta…disappointing. Which was stupid. He seriously let her compliments go to his head – she was probably just messing around when she said all that.

As if she could read his thoughts, Ishikawa looked up, catching his gaze. She smiled softly at him, making him feel weird, so he scowled in response. Smile slipping, she looked away. The weird feeling vanished, leaving Daiki strangely cold. It was probably just the wintry air. Yeah.

"You're not going home."

Daiki's hand slipped off the door handle in surprise. "What?"

Ishikawa sighed. "It's late, and it's dangerous. Stay here instead."

Did she even know what she was implying?! "No," he said flatly. "Remaining here would be more dangerous."

"What?" Confusion permeated her naïve features. "What do you mean?"

"You think your dad will be happy if he sees some random guy in his house – alone with his daughter? He'd probably shoot first, ask questions later."

"Don't be silly," said Ishikawa, frowning. "Mom's the one with the gun, and she doesn't live with us. Besides, Dad won't be home tonight… If he isn't home by dinner, he isn't home at all. Trust me," she added quietly.

Her unusually sombre expression gave Daiki pause. Ishikawa's arms were tight as she hugged a sleep Pickles close to her torso, her eyes downcast and her lips pressed tight together. He knew that look all too well – it was one he often caught his younger self wearing whenever his parents informed him they were off on another business trip. It died away the older he grew and the more frequent his parents left, but on some days (the really bad ones) he could see the ghost of his old self in his face. The very same one Ishikawa was wearing right now.

Maybe her reasons for making him stay were a bit more selfish than she was letting on.

Daiki huffed. "Fine. But we're not sharing a room."

"Well, you'll have to sleep in the yard, then, since the couch is too small for you."

"What."

Ishikawa maintained eye contact with his outrage glare before bursting into laughter. "Kidding! We have a guest room, don't worry. You're so gullible, Daiki-san." She grinned as his expression remained as sour as ever. "It's cute, though."

There she went again. She kept throwing around those compliments like they were nothing whatsoever. She meant it, though; that much he was sure of. Ishikawa seemed like she was incapable of telling a straight-faced lie.

He shook his head clear of those thoughts. Dwelling on the matter would only confuse him more.

Ishikawa gave him a tour of the upper half of the house, which contained all the bedrooms and another bathroom. She showed him to the guest bedroom first, which…was full of stuffed toys.

"The hell?" muttered Daiki.

"Oops." Ishikawa scratched the back of her head. "Forgot these were all here. I'll clear them up later."

The next room they entered was her own, which was situated in between the guest room and her father's. Daiki didn't know what he was expecting when he walked into the room. Maybe posters of gravure models like he had? Or pictures of famous martial artists. But the teal walls were surprisingly unmarked. How dull.

Ishikawa walked past her TV and plopped down before her desk. "Make yourself at home," she said, spinning herself on the computer chair.

Daiki complied. He sat down on the rug in the centre of the room, right in front of the TV. Flicking to whatever channel looked interesting, he sat back and relaxed. Or, he would have, were it not for the incessant tapping coming from Ishikawa's range.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, glancing at her.

Ishikawa paused in her furious typing and looked over her shoulder. "Notes for the English test next week."

"Oh." Daiki lied back down.

"Wow," Ishikawa said wonderingly. "You really don't care about grades, huh?"

He snorted. "Took you long enough to realise."

"Well, no, I noticed, but it's just surprising is all," she confessed, not in the least bit offended by his tone. "It must be boring."

Daiki stiffened. "What?"

Ishikawa shook her head. "Nothing."

"No, you said something." Daiki pushed himself up, scowling.

She frowned, looking oddly concerned. "Touou has a basketball team, but you don't seem like you play much. And you don't study. I'm guessing you don't work either?" When Daiki continued to stare stonily, she shrugged. "It just seems a bit boring, which sucks." She suddenly brightened. "What's your hobby?"

Daiki took a moment to recover from the sudden shift in atmosphere. "Bikini models."

"That sounds boring. You should read!"

"Hah?"

Ishikawa grinned. "I'll be right back!" she called, running out of the room. She returned less than a minute later, this time with several books in-hand. "These are my personal favourites. You should flick through them. But don't bend the spine, because I'll bend you."

"Was that meant to be threatening?" If so, she wasn't doing a good job. Still, he glanced at the covers for anything remotely interesting. One caught his eye – a paperback novel decorated with an armed kid and a half-man, half-bull monster. He silently began to read, somewhat mindful of being the book too much.

The night passed like so. Ishikawa was bent over her desk, studying, while Daiki rested on his stomach, his head propped up by his hand with the book beneath him. When he finally left the room hours later and slipped into his temporary bed, he felt calmer than he had in months.

* * *

A/N: What _does_ canon-Aomine do in his spare time? I feel like he just sleeps.

Thank you to everyone who favourited, followed and/or reviewed this story! It fuels my motivation. ^_^


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Rumours

"You know," Kaya began conversationally, "when I first made that offer that fateful night, I didn't realise I was signing up for a long-term situation."

Daiki-san swiped an apple slice from her lunch box. "Now you do."

Kaya smiled at the grump beside her. It had been a few weeks since she had transferred to Touou Academy and met a certain blue-haired teen, whom she was now pleased to call a friend. It was kind of hard not to, since they were together practically every day.

They shared the same class together, but it wasn't just that. They had lunch on the otherwise empty rooftop frequently. Even on the days he skipped school, he still managed to see her, whether it was to play spectator during her club activities (rare), walk her home (often), eat her food (frequent), or crash at her place (occasionally). She probably should have been running for the hills by now, but… She was pretty lonely. And kinda infatuated with him.

The bell shrieked shrilly, disturbing their peaceful ambience. "Are you gonna come to class this time?" asked Kaya, packing up. "Or are you gonna nap like an old man?"

"Stop calling me an old man," he groused. "I'm not tired enough to nap… Not here, anyway." Sighing, he forced himself up and headed towards the door. "Might as well go to class."

"That's the spirit!"

"You gotta let me copy your work, though."

Kaya was about to say no as usual, but an idea struck her. "Only if you give me a piggyback ride," she said slyly.

"Yeah, no. I'll just doodle."

"Party pooper."

The duo headed to class in the unfortunately typical manner – on foot. Daiki-san's long legs easily compensated for his sluggish pace, making Kaya either power-walk to keep up with him or stick to her usual stride. She opted for the latter because A) she was lazy and B) Daiki-san's dark glare tended to clear the hallways faster than a fart-bomb could.

"They're together again," someone whispered as they walked past. "Do you think they're dating?"

"Psh, as if," scoffed another. "He's probably keeping her hostage or something."

Kaya made a face as she kept walking. Over the past few days, she had heard a plethora of rumours concerning herself and Daiki-san, but that one was going a little overboard. Still, this was high school, which meant things would slowly go downhill from there.

Not that it mattered. Daiki-san never acknowledged it, so neither would she. (Not that she'd mind if addressed/confirmed the dating rumours… Yeah, right.)

Class was the same as usual. Daiki-san tried to peek at her notes, but she was left-handed, and effectively blocked his view. The first and only time he tried to simply snatch her book, she reflexively bit his toned arm. He could have easily returned the favour twice-over, but didn't. All he did was scowl at her and retract his hand. She had a hard time concentrating afterwards.

It was when class was over that something interesting happened. Kaya had just finished packing her bag when a boy approached Daiki-san hesitantly, much like a rabbit would to a snoozing lion. She watched him, bemused. No one spoke to Daiki-san in class besides her.

Daiki-san stared at the newcomer blandly. "What do you want, Ryo?" he asked.

Kaya looked at him in surprise. Whenever Daiki-san spoke to someone, it was always with an irritated tone belying his words. But now, he only sounded mildly ticked. Amazing.

'Ryo' fiddled with the strap of his bag. "U-Um, sorry, Aomine-kun, but Captain says I need to convince you to come to practice today."

"I'm busy." He snaked an arm around Kaya's shoulders, surprising an 'eep' out of her as he pulled her close. "As you can see." He looked to her for confirmation.

Kaya glanced between the expectant teen to the nervous one, her heart torn. Inevitably, her heart reached out for the latter. She looked at Daiki-san, confused. "We don't have any concrete plans today."

"I'll give you a piggyback ride," he muttered lowly.

She brightened at the highly tempting offer. But… "I want to see you play!" she chirped, grinning.

Daiki-san's arm tightened around her shoulders, but her grin didn't waver. He used his free hand to rub his face roughly, as if exhausted. "Fine," he bit out, withdrawing his arm and glaring daggers at her. "But only today."

 _Yes!_

Kaya practically skipped towards the gym. The others trailed behind her, one exuding irritation while the other trembled. Noting the latter, she slowed her pace to walk beside him.

"I'm Ishikawa Kaya," she said, smiling. "Nice to meet you."

The brunette ducked his head. "I'm Sakurai Ryo."

"Why'd you join the basketball team, Sakurai-kun?"

"I-I read a lot of basketball manga a few years back, and thought it was cool. Sorry! That's a really lame reason."

Kaya shook her head. "Not at all. Which manga was it?"

Sakurai-kun twiddled his thumbs. "Shiroto no Basuke. H-Have you heard of it?"

"Of course! It was a huge hit back then. I only watched the anime, though." The conversation continued as they walked. As it turned out, Sakurai-kun enjoyed drawing manga in his spare time, which Kaya admitted being envious of. Her drawing skills were garbage. As they talked, especially about his hobbies, Sakurai-kun began to brighten, even losing his stutter along the way.

On the other hand, Daiki-san was regressing. His mood became fouler as he stormed outside towards the gym. She didn't even need to see his face to know he was glowering. She glanced at his back, concerned, as she half-listened to Sakurai-kun. Maybe she should have forced him into this.

Daiki-san slammed the gym doors open with a deafening bang. Even among the ruckus of the basketball players, the sound rang loud and clear. All eyes were on them as Daiki-san stormed into the hall. Sakurai-kun scurried after him, apologising profusely as he went.

Kaya was left awkwardly standing there, wondering if she should follow or leave. It turned out she wasn't given a choice.

"Hello," said a somewhat nasally voice. "May I help you?"

Flinching, Kaya turned and looked up at a tall guy with black hair, glasses, and fox-like eyes. She bowed slightly. "I'm Ishikawa Kaya," she said, feeling the urge to introduce herself. "Um, I'm just here to watch, if that's okay."

"Oh? That's unusual. We don't get much spectators."

It was true. The only other non-players in the gym beside her were a man who looked like the coach and a pink-haired girl near the benches.

"Are you a friend of Sakurai Ryo?" he asked, smiling.

She didn't trust that smile. "We just met, so… No, I'm here for Da- Aomine Daiki."

The black-haired boy actually recoiled. "I'm sorry?" he asked, baffled.

Before Kaya could respond, though, said boy's voice cut through the hall. "Oi, Captain! I better be here for a good reason!"

The captain of Touou's basketball team frowned. "Rude as ever…" He sighed. "You can take a seat over there, Ishikawa-san." Turning around, he hollered, "Alright, team, now that Aomine has arrived, let's gather 'round!"

Somewhat jumpy, Kaya obediently headed towards the courtside bench, where the team was huddled near. Sitting down, she watched as they exchanged words. From her position, she could only hear titbits of their conversation. The only things that stuck out were "Interhigh" and "Aomine, come to practice more often, goddammit!"

At this point, Daiki-san rolled his eyes. "As if I need to practise. You all know that."

"You cocky bastard!" roared a blonde player.

Daiki-san merely sneered at him. "Do you really want me to prove it to you again? Fine." He ran his sharp eyes over the players surrounding him. "All of you against me. Let's play."

People began to protest immediately, with some more outspoken the others. However, they all fell silent when the captain raised a hand. "Fine," he said, when everyone had clamped their mouths shut. "But if any of us score just one goal, you'll have to attend practice from now on. Deal?"

"Deal."

The only adult in the room sighed, running a hand through his shoulder-length hair. "Alright, I'm act as ref. Everyone, get ready. Aomine, change into your jersey."

"Don't need it," he said dismissively, oozing confidence as he strolled to the middle of the court.

"If you say so." Shrugging, the coach grabbed a basketball from a basket. "Ready? Go!" He tossed the ball in the air, and the battle began.

It was a merciless slaughter.

Kaya gaped as Daiki-san singlehandedly swept past the offense and defense. Though his teammates posed some difficulty, he evaded them soon enough, scoring the first and only point. The coach blew his whistle, signalling the end of the game (if it could even be called that).

Daiki-san made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat as he left the court. "Still think I need to practise?" he asked as he walked past the blonde who had called him out before. "Later. Ishikawa, you coming?"

"Sure," murmured Kaya, rising. She followed him out the door, bowing to their audience in goodbye. She managed to catch one thing before she was out of earshot, though.

"So _that_ ' _s_ the one grapevine is going nuts about."

Kaya was forced to quicken her pace to match Daiki-san's, who was looking far crosser than when he entered the gym. "Do you hate them?" she asked, a bit breathless.

"Hah?"

"Your team," she clarified. "Do you hate them?"

"They're weak. People weaker than me have no place telling me what to do."

Kaya hummed thoughtfully. The more she talked to Daiki-san, the more steam he blew off. She knew just what to do to cheer him up. "Wanna make some hamburgers?"

He perked up. Kaya tried to smother her grin. _Too easy_.

* * *

Kaya strolled through the streets, 3DS in hand. It was a new day, and she was on her way to school – alone. Her father had actually returned home last night, so she was forced to kick Daiki-san out before he could even finish off his Teriyaki hamburger, the poor soul.

"Make any new friends?" her father asked, heaving himself onto a chair.

"Yeah," she mumbled around her chopsticks.

He grabbed a patty. "Good, good," he muttered absentmindedly.

That was the end of their conversation.

The recollection made Kaya sigh. These days, she was looking forward to her father's absences during dinner, if only because Daiki-san took his place. Even he was more talkative. But she supposed she couldn't really blame her father; being a salary man wasn't an easy job. She hoped her future husband would take on a more interesting job. Say, a professional basketball player…

"Ishikawa Kaya?"

Kaya glanced up from her console and into a pair of shockingly pink eyes. "Yes?" she asked slowly.

The girl before her smiled. "I'm Momoi Satsuki. We sort of met the other day?"

Oh! The pink-haired girl in the courts. Kaya smiled. "Yeah, I remember now. I didn't know you lived in this area."

Satsuki-san chuckled nervously. "Right… Mind if I walk with you?"

"Sure." Kaya pocketed her 3DS, bidding a silent apology to her Pokemon. "What's up?"

Satsuki-san tucked a vibrant lock of hair behind her ear. Kaya was familiar with that action – it was something she did to hide her nervousness. When Satsuki-san did it, though, it looked like a calculated move of cool confidence. Weird, but Kaya supposed it came with looking like a model. "It's about Aomine-kun. Would you consider him your friend?"

"Of course."

"Really?" asked Satsuki-san, wide-eyed at her immediate answer.

Kaya frowned. "Why does everyone react like that?" she mused to herself.

"Sorry. Aomine-kun doesn't play nice with others, so to hear someone declare themselves as his friend… It's a bit surprising."

She tilted her head, puzzled. "Daiki-san isn't that bad. But why are you asking, Satsuki-san?"

"Da-?" the pinkette began, but quickly switched tracks. "I wanted to thank you, Kaya-san."

"Thank me?"

"Yes. Yesterday was the first time in a long time that Aomine-kun showed up to practice, no matter how abrupt his visit. Sakurai-kun informed me that it was thanks to you."

Kaya laughed. "What? No way."

"It's true! You must have done something, right?"

"I can't say I did. I mean, the only thing I really said that could have convinced him to go was how I wanted to see him play. But that can't be it. Right?"

Satsuki-san placed a delicate finger on her cheek thoughtfully. "Interesting," she murmured. "Can you do me a favour, Kaya-san?"

Kaya tensed, sensing that this 'favour' wasn't going to favourable whatsoever. "What is it?"

Satsuki-san clasped her hands together in a pleading gesture. "Can you try to get Aomine-kun to come to practice more often? It doesn't even have to be every day! Once a week would be plenty. So please?"

Grimacing, Kaya pointedly avoided Satsuki-san's desperate gaze. "I really don't have as much sway as you think I do…"

"Please? We have a tournament coming up!"

Kaya sighed, defeated. "Fine. I'll try. No promises though!"

But Satsuki-san was over the moon. She threw herself onto the dark-haired girl, hugging her happily. "Yay! Thank you!" she cheered.

Patting her back awkwardly, Kaya silently wondered what she had gotten herself into.

* * *

"No."

"Well, I tried." Shrugging, Kaya returned to her bread.

Daiki-san inhaled the last of his hamburgers. "Why do you even want me to go back anyway? You saw what happened yesterday. I demolished them."

"True. It was v cool." Kaya wiped a crumb from her skirt. "But I heard you have a tournament coming up. There might be tough opponents there, right?"

"Ha. I doubt it. Even without me, the rest can take care of other teams – especially in the prelims."

Kaya frowned. "If you say so."

"Good job, everyone. That's all for today."

"Ossu!"

Kaya stretched, loosening her muscles. They always got super tight after a training sesh with the karate club, and today was no different. She wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead, debating on using one of the school showers. Then again, there was the slim chance that Daiki-san was waiting for her, and he didn't seem like the patient type. So she simply changed out of her PE uniform into her regular one and hopped outside.

No one was there to greet her.

Disappointed, Kaya began her trek home. Before she reached the school gates, though, her phone buzzed. Bemused, Kaya clicked it open, revealing a text message from Satsuki-san. The girls had exchanged numbers this morning before they parted ways, and Kaya was a little surprised she was being texted already.

"Kaya-san," she read aloud, "I just got a text that Aomine-kun is at practice! Thanks! I knew I could rely on you."

What? Kaya's fingers hovered over the keyboard before clicking the phone shut. Daiki-san was at practice? Why? A quick jog to the gym would answer her questions.

Kaya reached the hall in under a minute. She peered in from one of the side exits, being the one closest to her. What she saw made her stomach churn.

Daiki-san was holding up one of his lecherous magazines – nothing unusual – as he stole Sakurai-kun's food. Kaya frowned, about to step in, when the blonde from before beat her to the punch. He fisted Daiki-san shirt, using it to pull him close and right up his face. He screamed heatedly at his impassive underclassman, who spoke lowly before kneeing him right in the gut.

Kaya gasped, clapping a hand to her mouth in shock.

The perpetrator had no such compunctions. He walked away casually, placing his magazine on the floor and grabbing a ball in its stead. He slammed it against the floorboards once before dashing towards the basketball hoop. Like last time, he scored a point effortlessly. This time, though, he smashed it through the hoop so violently that it actually _broke_ off the rest of the board with a terrible crunch.

Daiki-san inspected the hoop before cackling madly. He smiled coldly as he showed off the broken hoop to his teammates, who were watching in equal amounts of fear and wariness. Without looking back, he tossed it behind him…and straight at Kaya.

Yelping, Kaya managed to bring her arm to guard her face. Pain exploded along her arm as metal and wood crashed into her before dropping to the floor. She hissed, cradling her arm, and looked up as silence filled the hall.

Daiki-san had turned at her cry, revealing his chilling expression. His eyes were sharp as daggers despite the scowl etched into his brow, while his mouth curled into a vicious smirk. It was gone the moment he noticed her, though.

He stared at her blankly. "Ishikawa?" he asked. He made to take a step in her direction, but she instinctively flinched back. "What are you doing here?" he asked dumbly.

That was the first thing he said. Not "Are you hurt?" or "Did I hit you?" or even "I'm sorry." Just, a demand.

Kaya swallowed as her throat threatened to close up. "People call you things, you know," she said lightly. "Monster and crap like that. I always thought they were stupid. But maybe I'm the stupid one." Voice cracking, she swiped at her eyes. "I'll see you in class," she whispered, eyes on the ground. Without another word, she turned and ran.

* * *

A/N: Yikes. Aomine needs to check himself before he wrecks himself.

How was the chapter? Let me know in the reviews! Also, feel free to share your expectations and hopes for the story, so I can do my best to help fulfill them!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Comfort

Kaya sighed for the umpteenth time that night as she popped another fry into her mouth. Whenever she was down, fast food always picked her right up. As such, she was presently at Maji Burger. Personally, her town had McDonald's, but when in Rome…

She had texted her father, who informed her he wouldn't home tonight either. Normally, Kaya would be gleeful, because that meant Daiki-san could stay over and they'd have another unconventional sleepover.

The thought of the boy withdrew another sigh from her. What on earth had happened this afternoon? Groaning, she buried herself in her good arm.

A yip from somewhere near her feet jolted her right back up. Kaya popped her head beneath the sticky table, and came face-to-face with a puppy. She gasped in surprise, which quickly turned into delight when the puppy licked her nose. Smiling for the first time that night, she patted the small animal and carefully picked it up.

Scanning the area, she confirmed no one was looking as she propped the canine on her bench. She spent the next few minutes playing with it, and could almost feel her stress dissipate. God, she loved animals.

"Oh, Number 2, there you are."

Kaya snapped her head to the source so quickly she should have gotten whiplash. A boy around her age was hovering by her side, his light blue eyes focused on the puppy, who barked in response.

"Is this your dog?" she asked. "He was snooping around under my table when I found him."

"Yes," said the boy. "He escaped from my bag."

Kaya smiled, bemused. "You know pets aren't allowed in places that serve food, right?"

The boy blinked. "No, I didn't."

Weirdo. "Well, I suppose you want your dog back…" she said reluctantly.

He stared at her for a moment. "No, you can play with him. I'll be right back." And then he left, rendering Kaya speechless.

The puppy – Number 2? – nudged her stomach, dragging her attention back to the cute mound. Giggling, she fiddled with its ears.

"Are you a dog person?"

"Gah." The boy was back, and he was sitting directly opposite her. He brought his tray of food with him this time, and was munching on his burger contentedly. "Um, I'm an animal person, really."

"I see."

"Sorry, what was your name? I'm Ishikawa Kaya, by the way."

"Kuroko Tetsuya. That's Tetsu Number 2. Because of his eyes."

"I see." Not really. Their eyes were blue, sure, but their mannerisms were entirely different. "Why'd you bring your dog here? They don't exactly eat junk food."

"I know," he claimed, sipping on his shake. "But I just came back from training, and I was hungry."

"Training?"

"I play basketball."

Kaya's hands stilled, making Tetsu whine. "You too?"

Kuroko-kun was staring again. "Me too?" he asked.

Kaya kept her eyes on Tetsu, avoiding the piercing gaze of his owner. "Let's just say I have history with basketball players."

"What do you mean?"

She bit her lip. There was really no harm telling this stranger. The chances they'd see each other again were pretty slim, and who else was she supposed to unload her damage on? "There's this guy… I have – had? – a massive crush on him. He was just so cool, y'know? Everyone was scared of him, or hated him, and I didn't see why… until today. He was so violent and aggressive. I hate people who are like that."

Kaya flopped back in her seat, eyes on the ceiling. Someone had successfully wadded a spit-ball up there. "But he's one of my only friends in the world. I don't know what to do."

"Have you two spoken since then?" asked Kuroko-kun.

Kaya forced her gaze to meet his. "No," she said softly. "It only happened recently, so…"

Kuroko-kun nodded. "I think you should give him time before confronting him."

"Yeah, I guess," she sighed. "Sorry for making you listen to all this, Kuroko-kun." She forced a smile onto her lips. "So what school do you go to?"

"Seirin."

"Oh, that's not far from here. And you're part of the basketball team there, right? Are you gonna compete in the Interhigh thingy?"

"Yes."

Though a great listener, Kaya quickly learnt that Kuroko Tetsuya was a horrible conversation partner.

She didn't see him again until a few days later. Kaya was in the middle of unwrapping her package sent by her mother when there was a knock on the door. Who was dropping by so late in the evening? Curious but wary, she descended the stairs and reached the door. Standing on the tips of her toes, she peeked through the peephole and was met with Aomine Daiki's infamous scowl.

Eyes widening, she backed away from the door. Her hand hesitated on the door knob before turning it slowly. She opened it halfway and leaned on it as casually as she could.

"Why are you here?" she asked, her gaze on his sneakers.

Daiki-san inhaled before replying. "I'm here to say…sorry. For hitting you with the hoop."

Lips pursed, she lifted her head to meet his surprisingly solemn eyes. "That's now what I'm upset about," she said, voice low.

"What?"

Her jaw clenched. "Do you know why I transferred halfway into the year?" When he shook his head slowly, Kaya continued. "I was bullied. For the first half of my first year in high school, I was teased and tormented every day." Her eyes lost focus as she wandered through the dark halls of her past. The name-calling and insults she could stomach, but then came the physical attacks – the tripping and shoving in hallways, the destruction of bag and books when she left them unguarded that first and last time, the time they ambushed her in the bathroom…

"I was a weirdo. Worse, I was a smart weirdo who got good grades and embarrassed the rest of the class whenever the teacher compared me to them. And nails that stick up get hammered down, right?" She smiled humourlessly before focusing on Daiki-san once more. "I'm not upset at you accidentally hitting me. I'm upset you were acting like a bully, Daiki-san."

The tanned teen clenched and unclenched his fists as he struggled to reply. Seeing his earnest attempt softened Kaya's heart a bit. Daiki-san was a proud person – that much was obvious. She was honestly surprised he'd initiate the talk in the first place, but to apologise? It was unexpected of him. But it still wasn't enough.

She ran a hand through her hair. "Do you regret what you did?"

A pause. Then, "Yeah."

"Do…Do you want me to forgive you?"

"Yeah."

The corners of her lips twitched into a semblance of a smile. He truly was full of surprises today. "I will, but only if you do this for me: lay off of Sakurai-kun. That poor kid has seen more shit than I have. Please don't add to that."

Daiki-san grimaced, but managed to hold his tongue. "What else?"

Her smile shifted into a smirk. "I want a piggy-back. Not now! But sometime in the future. Deal? Deal."

"Now you're just exploiting me."

Pouting, Kaya slowly raised her bruised arm into his line of sight.

"Ugh. Fine. You're such a brat."

Kaya winked. "You love me anyway."

Daiki-san raised an eyebrow but otherwise said nothing, making Kaya draw a blank. He didn't deny nor confirm it… Oh dear. Now she had hope. And she wasn't letting go of it.

She was still in a daze when Daiki-san's phone went off. He fished it out of his pocket and flipped it open. "Yeah, Satsuki?" he grunted.

A shrill shout could be heard from the other end.

Daiki-san yawned. "I'm at Ishikawa's. Yeah, I apologised," he grumbled. He looked a little alive as the speaker's voice switched to a low baritone. "Oh, Imayoshi-san. Yeah, I'll probably be there by halftime." Touou's basketball team's captain raised his voice, but Daiki-san simply chuckled. "Please. Twenty minutes is more than enough time to crush those scrubs. Do whatever you can during the first half," he said snugly, snapping his phone shut and cutting Imayoshi-san off.

Kaya frowned, her brow knitting in concern. "You have a legitimate game tonight?"

"Yeah, the Interhigh prelims," he replied, pocketing his phone away.

"The prelims?! Shouldn't you be there?"

"Nah. The team I'm up against isn't anything too big."

Still… "I want to go watch," she declared.

"Serious?" Daiki-san stared at her, baffled. "Why?"

Kaya rolled her eyes. "To watch you play, of course." Sure, she saw him decimate his team the other day, but that was nothing compared to an actual game. Grabbing the keys from the hook behind the door, Kaya closed it swiftly behind her. "Let's go!"

"Oi, Ishikawa."

"Hm?"

"You're in your pyjamas."

"…So it would seem."

Today was full of firsts for him.

Daiki rolled his shoulders back and forth, loosening his muscles. It was the first time he had sought someone out for the sake of apologising like that. Unfortunately, his life was as dull as ever without Ishikawa around to brighten his days, so he figured his pride was worth swallowing for that. It definitely had nothing to do with the way her disappointed eyes had cut through him that fateful day.

It was also the first time a while his interest was piqued by the opposing team. He actually had to put in some – if only a little – effort into playing. He couldn't wait until their ten-minute break was up.

Daiki entered their locker room leisurely, paying no mind to the stench of sweat and deodorant that assaulted his senses.

"Ryo," he said, "did you bring them?"

"Um, yes." The smallest player of the team nodded slightly. He removed a container from his locker and presented it to him.

Daiki grabbed a lemon slice and was about to pop into his mouth before he remembered Ishikawa's words. "Thanks," he added as an afterthought, chewing on the refreshing snack. "They're good."

Ryo's eyes widened, eradicating the apprehension from his face. "Y-You're welcome," he said quietly.

The moment was ruined by Wakamatsu, who snatched the box from Ryo and began screaming something about not having played enough to deserve the treat. As usual, Daiki tuned him out.

"Hey, save me some," interrupted Imayoshi-san, as Wakamatsu stuffed his face.

"There's none left for you, Aho-mine," he spat in-between bites.

Daiki considered hitting him for a solid second but dashed the thought away. The coach wouldn't forgive him if he damaged one of the players during a match. "I don't want any more," he replied, trying to ignore the way he sounded like a sulking child.

Their captain rested a hand on his head. "Don't eat them all," he groaned.

"It's okay," said Satsuki, carrying her own container. "I made some, too."

Daiki felt his stomach roll at the words. He subconsciously inched further away from the pink-haired train-wreck. Satsuki was many things, but good cook was not one of them. Unbidden memories of the things she force-fed him when they were kids surfaced in his mind. Minced pork and strawberry jam should _never_ be in the same dish together.

The team soon discovered her horrendous cooking skills when she opened the container, revealing whole, unsliced lemons coated in honey.

Imayoshi-san took a glance at the monstrosity before walking away, calling to Ryo to see if he had any left.

Kaya was right. Watching Daiki-san play in an official match was nothing like his tomfoolery at school. It was almost like he was a different person entirely.

The teen sat back as the referee blew their whistle, announcing the end of the first half. During the half-minute she had been here, she had unconsciously edged further and further off her seat to get a better view of the war being waged down in the courts. It was the first time she was at a sporting event like this, and the tension in the air was palpable. People roared and cheered whenever their team scored a point, or hissed and grit their teeth whenever the opposing team got the upper hand. There was noise and chatter at every moment and every corner of the stadium, their enthusiasm contagious. She could see how people started riots after games sometimes, even if it was pretty stupid.

Nature called, and Kaya was forced to abandon her seat in favour of the bathroom. She should have held it in, though, because her seat was occupied by the time she came back. To say something or not to say something? The thought of confrontation made her grimace. Leery at thought of starting a fight and face the potential of getting kicked out, Kaya abandoned her lovely seat and opted to stand at the back instead.

Two people were already standing, perhaps having had difficulty finding a seat. Kaya walked past them and was about to stand further away from them when she heard the blonde one say, "Aominecchi."

She halted in her steps, drawing their attention. Kaya covered her bout of awkwardness with a bright smile. "Sorry," she said, "are you a friend of Daiki-san's?"

The one who had spoken looked at her in surprise while his green-haired companion narrowed his. "Eh? Daiki-san?" repeated the blonde.

"We're acquainted with him, yes," replied the other one, much more coherently. "Who are you?"

"Ishikawa Kaya. I'm"– _say you're his girlfriend_ , her traitorous mind whispered–"his friend."

"Seriously?" The blonde stared at her as if she two heads.

Kaya's smile slipped. She was starting to get sick of the way everyone reacted to that fact. "Yes, seriously," she said, lips pursed.

"Ah, sorry," he replied, rubbing the back of his head. "I'm Kise Ryouta." He flashed her a dazzling smile that made Kaya want to avoid looking at him for too long.

"Midorima Shintarou," introduced the other. "Do you attend Touou Academy?"

"Yeah. What about you guys?"

Kise and Midorima attended Kaijou and Shutoku, respectively. They gazed at her expectantly after revealing their schools, but the significance of such flew straight over Kaya's head. Instead, she focused on the toy resting by Midorima's bandaged hands.

"Um," she said, staring at the jack-in-a-box.

"Cancer's lucky item for today," explained Midorima.

"I see." Smiling blandly, Kaya subtly inched further from the two boys.

However, she found herself crawling back the game resumed and they muttered to themselves about the players – namely, Daiki-san. Their commentary on him was enlightening, to the say the least. He sounded like a prodigy the way they described him, even going so far as to call him the "ace of the Generation of Miracles", whatever that was. It sounded ridiculously pretentious, though, and Kaya tried her best not to giggle at the name.

Still, they were right about one thing: Daiki-san truly was an amazing basketball player. No matter what they threw in his way – one player, two players, three players – he swatted them aside as if they nothing more than mere flies.

And then they brought out a certain boy with sky-blue eyes.

"Kuroko-kun?" she whispered, wide-eyed. This was his team? This was Seirin?

"You know Kurokocchi, too?" asked Kise.

"Yeah… We met at a burger place once, but that's it. I'm guessing he's your acquaintance, too?"

Kise smiled. "More than that, he's our friend."

Kise, Midorima, Kuroko-kun, Daiki-san… They had history together. The analysis of the gameplay, the mention of the Generation of Miracles, Midorima's bandages... Oh. She should have known.

"You two play as well, don't you? Basketball." When they nodded, she continued, "Then what's your relationship with Daiki-san and Kuroko-kun? Are you all epic rivals?"

Kise chuckled. "Something like that."

"We played together," clarified Midorima, nudging his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "We were in the same basketball team during middle school."

"And now you're not," concluded Kaya. Was that why Daiki-san and Kuroko-kun kept staring at each other like that?

Once Kuroko-kun was thrown into the mix, things got a helluva lot more interesting. And confusing. For some reason, Kaya kept losing sight of Seirin's shortest teammate. She had to really focus on him to keep him in sight, which was hard because the game was too fast-paced to let her do so.

But it still wasn't enough to beat Daiki-san. He singlehandedly swept through Seirin's entire team, scoring goal after goal and intercepting those crazy passes of Kuroko-kun's. The game was decided before the fourth quarter even began.

Though Seirin refused to give up until the very end, it was Touou's complete and utter victory. 112 to 55 was the final score. The Touou supporters (which was basically the entire audience) rose and cried out in exultation. But Kaya remained silent.

"Not going to cheer for your school?" asked Kise, as he clapped politely.

Kaya shook her head. "My heart always goes out to the underdog," she said. Secretly, though, she just didn't like the way Daiki-san behaved on the court. She could feel the smugness all the way from up here, and it was suffocating.

Maybe it was time she stopped watching him play.

* * *

A/N: Enter the other members of the GoM! The rainbow is almost complete!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Camaraderie

Kaya was, by strict definition, a teenager. And it was summer vacation. As such, she should be out and about, enjoying her youth and having the time of her life, right?

Yeah, no.

"Have any sevens?"

"No."

"Say it."

"No."

"It's the name of the game – you have to say it."

"Fine… Go fish."

She had won the battle, but lost the war. Pouting, Kaya drew a card from the deck and added it to her significantly heavy hand. It was the middle of a summer's day, and her air condition refused to work. Unable to stand the heat without taking off all of their clothes (which wouldn't be _too_ bad) she and Daiki-san had opted to head to Maji Burger, as it was close-by. Not only did it have AC, it had _food_. Two birds, one stone.

"I can't believe this is how we're spending our break," she muttered around the straw in her mouth. "Shouldn't your team be on training trips or something?"

"Nah," said Daiki-san, his speech muffled slightly by the fist he was leaning his cheek on. "We're too good for that crap. Or I am, at least."

Kaya couldn't say anything. To be honest, Daiki-san was the best player she had ever seen. Not that that was saying much, but…

"I gotta chuck a dump," he said, throwing down his cards.

"Thanks for sharing."

Rising, Daiki-san smirked, making her swoon on the inside. "Anytime."

Just as he entered the bathroom, a huge guy with red hair and bizarre, arrowhead-like eyebrows approached her. "Hey," he said gruffly, "is it okay if I sit here? Everywhere else is full."

A quick scan of the restaurant confirmed his statement. It looked like she and Daiki-san weren't the only ones trying to escape the heat.

"Is it just you?" she asked, making room.

"No," said a quieter voice, "I'm here too."

Kaya flinched and, weirdly enough, so did the red-haired guy. Now that she focused, there was a smaller figure next to his tall friend.

Her eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh, Kuroko-kun," she said, hand on her chest, "you scared me."

"Ishikawa-san." He nodded his head in greeting. "Is there room for me, too?"

"Yeah," she said, and the boys sat down across her. She kept her eyes on Kuroko-kun, who accidentally took Daiki-san's seat. "I was just about to leave, anyway."

"You don't have to leave because of us," said Kuroko-kun's friend, surprisingly kind despite his appearance. Just like another skilled basketball player she was acquainted with.

Oh, if only they knew. If Daiki-san caught sight of them, who knew what would happen? "It's fine," she said. "I was only waiting for my friend who went to the toilet. Have a nice day!" Without waiting for a reply, Kaya left the table.

She waited by the bathrooms, practically ambushing Daiki-san as he emerged. "We gotta go," she said urgently.

Daiki-san was unaffected by her panic. "We just got here."

Fast. She had to think fast. Biting her lip, she said quickly, "My period came."

He froze, allowing Kaya to grab hold of his hand and drag him out of the store. She took the side-entrance, careful to avoid the portion of the restaurant where the Seirin players were sitting. The humidity attacked her with renewed force as they stepped outside, and Kaya could already feel the sweat forming on her body. Unfortunately, that only increased when she realised the hole in her plan.

In order to actually exit the vicinity of the restaurant, they had to pass by the front, which was displayed to those who sat near the front of the store. The back, unfortunately, lead to nothing but a car park.

"We need to run," she said, looking back at Daiki-san.

"What?"

He didn't say "no", so that was as good as she was going to get. Without another warning, she began to dash, still holding onto Daiki-san. Her pace was nothing compared to his, and he pretty much walked as she ran.

This was it. They were almost past the store. Suddenly, Daiki-san stopped, pulling Kaya with him. She looked to him for clarification, and then her whole body stiffened as she noticed what he was staring at: Kuroko-kun and his friend, who were both staring back.

Snapping to her senses, Kaya tugged on Daiki-san's hand again. "Let's go," she urged. Fortunately, he listened, and they were on their way again. Seeing no need to rush any longer, they slowed to a walking pace.

Daiki-san pulled ahead of her, and it was only when their hands broke apart did Kaya remember that they were still joined. Well, not anymore. _Damn._

"Where are we headed?" she asked, jogging to keep up.

"My house."

Kaya grinned. "Nice."

Half an hour later, they were still walking. The heat was getting unbearable now, and Kaya was glad she wasn't wearing white, because it would have turned clear by now due to how much she was sweating.

She grimaced. "Not nice. How far is your place?"

"We're almost there."

Kaya feebly tried to fan herself with her hand before giving up when the effort was making her perspire even more. She fished through her bag for her water bottle before recalling that she and Daiki-san had finished it off long ago. God damn, she hated summer.

Finally, just as Kaya was sure she was about to faint, they reached an apartment complex. They climbed up what felt like a million stairs before they stopped at a unit. Daiki-san extracted a key from his leather wallet and opened the door in one swift movement.

Daiki-san's apartment was…unimpressive. It was just like any other apartment, with all the usual furniture plus a few gravure magazines on the coffee table.

"Take a seat," he told her, turning on the air-conditioning.

Kaya sat on the couch, grimacing at the way her skin immediately stuck to the leather. Uncomfortable, she opted for the tiled floor, which was cool to the touch. Now settled in, she grabbed her phone and began to browse.

"Way to make yourself home," noted Daiki-san, following her example and sitting near her.

Kaya rolled her eyes, which never left the screen of her phone. "Like you're one to talk. You practically live at my place."

Daiki-san flipped through a magazine without replying. Kaya looked up. She had seen him with those mags often, but she never actually saw its contents. Curious, she wiggled closer towards him and peered over his shoulder.

It was full of half-naked girls, not that she was surprised. What _was_ surprising, though, was the lack of appeal they had.

"Are these your type?" she asked, as he flipped a page.

"Yeah. Big boobs are the best."

Kaya frowned. "I prefer moderation. But you know what's better?"

"What?"

"A big heart."

Daiki-san laughed. "Yeah, no wonder you're single."

"What?!" she squawked. "Like you're any better!"

He snorted. "I'm not interested in dating."

Kaya stilled. "Really?" she asked quietly.

"Not casually, at any rate." Daiki-san shrugged, his bare shoulder rubbing against Kaya's. "Only when I find the right person."

"How do you know?"

"Hah?"

Kaya scooped her hair and dumped it on one shoulder. "How do you know if they're right?"

"Oh." Daiki-san placed the magazine in his lap as he considered the question. Kaya waited with baited breath. Finally, he said, "Dunno. I guess I will eventually."

Her eye twitched as her hand clenched into a fist. Such a lacklustre answer surely deserved a punch to the face. She forced herself to calm down by inhaling and exhaling deeply.

"You alright?" he asked, glancing at her.

"Yeah," she sighed. _I just have a crush on a blue-haired moron._

Daiki-san shoved a hand beneath his tank top, scratching at his belly. "How do you think you'll know, then?"

Kaya leaned back on the couch, dimly pleased with the way her skin didn't morph with the couch this time. "I already know," she said quietly.

"Oh? You into someone?"

"Mm."

"Who?" he asked, eyes back on his magazine.

 _You. I like you._

Kaya smiled. "Kise Ryouta."

"What?!" Daiki-san whipped to stare at Kaya in shock. "You like that pretty boy model?"

He was a model? That…explained a lot. Unable to help herself, Kaya burst into laughter. Daiki-san's face was too much. It was probably the first time she saw him this expressive. "I'm kidding!" she cried, gasping for breath. "No, he's too sparkly for me. I prefer darker guys." She watched him in the corner of her eye.

His cocked an eyebrow. "You mean African-Americans?"

Wow, he really was dumb. "Were you even listening to everything I said? I meant darker as in personality, not skin colour. My interests aren't race-exclusive."

"Oh, I see. Weird. You seem like the type to be interested in flower-boy types."

"What? Why?"

"Airheads like that type."

"Aomine Daiki," she began, voice low, "did you just call me an airhead?"

"What, you deaf, too?"

"You punk!" she screamed, punching him in the arm. She didn't put much force behind it, though, so it felt more like a feather falling against him. "My grades are better than yours!"

"That's 'cause I don't try."

"Oh, so you think if you put in effort, you'll beat me?"

"Easily."

"Fine," she bit out, jaw clenched. "We have assignments due once summer is over. We'll see who's smarter based on our marks."

"Nice try," scoffed Daiki-san, "but I'm not falling for that. Studying is too much of a pain."

Kaya constructed her features into a sneer. "Is that your way of saying you'll know you lose?"

Daiki-san's blue eyes narrowed. "Like hell it is. Fine! But if I beat you, then I get a favour."

"Same here. Deal?"

"Deal."

"I'm hungry. Make me food."

"…This is _your_ house, you bum."

Summer seemed to pass by a little faster after that. While her AC was being fixed, she dropped by Daiki-san's house and completed her assignments. True to his words, not once did he try to copy her; instead, he seemed intent on finishing it all by himself. One thing she noticed about him when he was reading or writing was his tendency to pause every few minutes and rub his eyes. After the fourth time it happened, Kaya put her pencil down and asked if something was wrong.

Daiki-san shook his head, but his fingers were still on his eyelids. "The words are a little blurry," he said, when Kaya didn't relent.

"Daiki-san… have you ever considered the fact that you needed glasses?"

Although Daiki-san was stubborn initially, Kaya wore him down, especially since he couldn't even read the words at one point. So they set off for the nearest optometrist.

"We should have ridden our bikes," noted Kaya, as they left the house.

"I don't have one."

"What?" She stared at him. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. I'm too lazy."

"But you're bothered enough to walk to my place almost every day?"

"Yeah."

Kaya gazed at him sceptically. Daiki-san was the type of person to cut corners in regards to almost everything but basketball. Maybe…maybe he couldn't afford a bike? Probably because he spent all his money on food and porn mags…

"Maybe we should invest in a tandem, then," said Kaya, shoving her hands in the pockets of her shorts. "It'll make getting around places much easier."

Daiki-san snorted a laugh. "That'll be a sight."

"Is that a yes?"

"Hell no."

Fortunately, the optometrist wasn't too far from Daiki-san's place. The weather today wasn't too bad for summer; by the time they reached their destination, she was only coated in a light sheen of sweat, instead of being drenched like the other day.

It turned out Kaya was right (as usual). Daiki-san needed glasses, but only the reading kind. After receiving their prescription, they went to grab a bite. This time, though, they made a silent agreement to avoid Maji Burger, so they grabbed ramen instead.

They entered the small store and were immediately greeted by the employees. Since lunch rush was over, they were seated and served relatively quickly. The only other customers besides Daiki-san and herself was a lean teen with spiky blonde hair who was devouring bowl after bowl of ramen as if he had just finished a fast.

"Why did you order the vegetable ramen?" asked Daiki-san, dragging her attention away from the loud boy. "You normally order meat."

Kaya arched an eyebrow. "Not all of us can live off of burgers and fries, you know. I need a vegetable now and again."

"A vegetable?" he repeated, slightly incredulous. "If you wanna be healthy, I don't think ramen is the way to go. But whatever. Don't come crying to me if you want some pork."

"I won't," she declared, but then the waitress brought their steaming bowls of noodles over, and was it her or did Daiki-san's one look more delicious? But she couldn't go back on her word like that. Trying to hide her pout, Kaya broke apart her disposable chopsticks and murmured an "Itadakimasu" before slurping up her meal.

"Damn," noted Daiki-san. His chopsticks raised a steaming slice of meat to his lips. "This is pretty good. Ishikawa, how's your tofu?"

"Healthier than your fatty pork," she muttered, popping a cube of slimy tofu into her mouth. "I hope you gain weight."

"With my metabolism? Please."

She flicked her chopsticks towards his face, and some droplets of broth slapped him in his unamused face. "The day you gain weight is the day I can die peacefully."

He wiped his face with a napkin, shooting her a confused look. "You're so damn weird."

Kaya beamed.

"Welcome!" called the employees. Naturally drawn to noise, Kaya peeked her head over Daiki-san's shoulder and at the entrance. The pink-haired customer caught her eyes and approached her table with a bright smile.

"Ishikawa-san!" she said, walking towards her. "Fancy seeing you here! Eh, Aomine-kun?" She looked between them, and Kaya could practically see the gears turning in her head. "Did you two get together?"

Surprised, Daiki-san choked on his food. He pounded at his chest, and squeaked, "What?"

Kaya placed a hand over her lips to cover her smile. Who knew his voice could go that high? "Um, no, we're not dating, Momoi-san," she said to the voluptuous girl. _Not yet_ , she added silently.

Momoi-san must have been thinking along the same lines, because she shot Kaya a secretive smile. "Of course. Mind if I join you, then?"

"Sure!" Scooting over, Kaya sat closer to the inside of the booth so Momoi-san could fit. "Do you live nearby?"

"Yep," she answered, unzipping her green jacket to reveal a tank top that almost sent Kaya straight to heaven as some of her cleavage peeked over the top. "I was going over the teams we're up against next season before I realised it was lunch time. The ramen here is good – especially the vegetarian one."

Kaya cheered. "Yes, another supporter. I'm glad I'm not the only one who is conscious of their health," she said with deliberate loudness, glancing at an indifferent teenage boy.

Momoi-san nodded, smiling. "I need to look after my figure as well."

Kaya deflated immediately. Right, those things existed. Ah well, she never paid much attention to such things, and it seemed to work for her, judging by the occasional looks she received despite the fact she tried to wear as much baggy clothing as possible. A feat in and of itself during summer, to be honest.

"You could try exercising," drawled Daiki-san, swirling his broth with his chopsticks. "Before you get fat."

Like he was one to talk. He barely even played basketball – not enough to be considered regularly active, at any rate. Rolling her eyes, Kaya was about to reply, when Momoi-san beat her to the punch.

"How rude!" she snapped, but didn't seem too hurt. "I actually watch what I eat, unlike you. When was the last time you ate clean? When we were kids?"

"Yeah, probably."

Momoi-san sighed. "I swear, if you don't start eating well, I'm going to make good on my promise to cook for you."

"Ugh." Daiki-san pulled a face. "I'd rather starve."

"Don't you mean go grab junk?"

Before a fight could erupt, Kaya butted in. "Are you guys close friends?" she asked.

The other female at the table nodded. "Sort of. We're childhood friends."

Oh. Oh no. Not the childhood friend trope – that only meant one thing. Momoi-san was her love rival.

No, that was ridiculous. This wasn't a shoujo manga. Still… As Momoi-san ate with them, Kaya carefully watched her interaction with Daiki-san, not saying a word herself. She couldn't add much to the conversation, anyway. Their friendship was on a whole other level – a fact that grew more apparent as they bickered.

Kaya finished the rest of her meal in silence, feeling oddly lonely despite the lively banter enshrouding her.

* * *

A/N: Ouch. Feel better soon, Kaya!


End file.
